


A Little Magic Goes a Long Way

by Prompt_Master



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Corruption, Evil magic, M/M, Mind Control
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-19
Updated: 2017-10-19
Packaged: 2019-01-19 10:14:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,755
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12408450
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Prompt_Master/pseuds/Prompt_Master
Summary: During a battle Haggar gets to Lance, hitting him with a powerful magic that allows her to mentally control him.





	A Little Magic Goes a Long Way

"Lance!" 

Keith felt his breath stop when he heard the grating call from Hunk. He swore to himself, chest heaving when he saw Lance on the floor in front of none other than Haggar. Keith clenched his sword closer, eyes squinting in anger, "...That fucking witch..." 

Hunk looked panicked, but managed to keep his composure and signal for Pidge to come over instead, knowing he'd risk hurting Lance if he fired his weapon at her. Pidge ran in from behind, while Keith slashed a sentry out if his way, marching strong and tall towards Haggar. 

Haggar looked up at him, her sharp eyes glinting with the same electric spark that was jumping around Lance's armor. 

Keith clenched his teeth, "What...did you do to him...?" 

But Haggar wasn't looking at him anymore, her eyes were downcast onto Lance's limp face down body where sparks of purple electricity were still running off his body. She pushed her foot into his rib and rolled him a little. When she pulled her foot back Lance fell face down again, limp and putty in her clutches. Keith tried to hold back the hostile growl and anger building up inside of him but it was no use, not with the shocked look on Pidge's face or the worried one on Hunks. Not with Haggar's uncaring look. 

His body was moving before he could think, and he was soon face to face with Haggar, his sword up at her throat, "I said...what did you do to him?" 

Pidge was now down at Lance's side, checking on him. When she grabbed his shoulders a lot spark noise ripped through the air and she jolted back with a yelp. 

Haggar let out a dry, airy laugh, "You do not scare me. I have seen worse things than you could ever imagine. I could do so much worse" 

"Cut the bullshit! What did you do?!" 

The side of her mouth quirked up, "Why don't you ask your princess?" 

Keith's angered expression faltered for just a moment, replaced with confusion, "Princess...?" 

"Lance!" An accented voice rang out, all eyes turned to Allura who was running through the battle field. Before she had been holding back forces, but if the rubble behind her was any indication it seemed she did just that. Now her eyes were wide and worried for her team mate, and she slid down on her knees in front of Lance, with Pidge on the other side. She briefly barked out for Hunk to cover them while they checked on Lance. 

Keith turned back to see only a floating cloak was left where Haggar was. He swore, slicing the cloak only in anger, he could see her heading back onto a safe haven Galra ship. If Lance were ok...he'd be able to take her down even from this distance. 

Don't think like that Keith, he'll be fine. 

"Pidge, Allura!" Keith called out as he stalled for enough time to let Coran land, beginning to clear a space for the ship to land if needed. There were a lot of ships and robots to move. "How's he holding up?" 

Pidge shook her head in worry, she had forced herself to pull through the zaps and roll Lance onto his back. His skin was pale and clammy, an uncomfortable expression on his face and his jaw slack, "Not good. But the scan says his vitals are ok. I don't know what's going on." 

"Oh poor Lance," Allura moved to brush his hair back when she too felt the string sparks radiating from his skin. She gasped and held her hand to her chest, now looking confused. 

Pidge was lisiting off symptoms to Keith, cold skin, shaking, weird amount of static electricity, so Hunk was the one to see Allura. He raised an eyebrow, his firing beginning to spread out as the Galra retreated, "What is it Princess?" 

"This spark it's..." this grabbed the others attention, Keith remembered what Hagar had said to him, ask your princess, "...magic" 

In that moment Lance's eyes opened, and instantly was hit with all the pain. Everyone frozen in shock watched as Lance's back arched and his fingers clawed at the ground under him. They were all suddenly very aware that Lance was screaming.

Hunk reached out to hold Lance but was held back by Pidge who wasn't sure if it was safe to touch him yet, Hunk stared at her with wide eyes, "Pidge he - he needs help! He's hurts!" 

Pidge's eyes were focused on Lance's wide eyes, convulsing body, and screaming mouth, "I know Hunk but we gotta be safe and-" 

"Allura what's going on what's happening to him?!" Keith's accusing tone rang out over the pained noises. 

Allura looked panicked, her hands hovered over Lance but never touched him, her eyes running up and down him like darts as if examining him. 

"Allura fucking answer me!" 

Allura snapped her head up to look at Keith, and for a second he was able to tune out the screaming to hear her pant out two breaths, "I-i'm not entirely sure." 

"You know more than we do though," Pidge said, "so we'll take any information over none" 

"It's- I think it's a magic surge. I can't imagine humans being capable of handling magic energy so-" Pidge cut her off. 

"So it's overloading his body?" The screams were starting to die down some, but if you looked closely you could see sparks rising from Lance's mouth in painful snaps. 

"Yes...it would seem so..." She only glanced up to give Coran the okay to land, looking down at Lance with intense worry. 

Hunk's mind was scrambling for solutions. It was all he could do in this solution. No more fighting to be had, no comfort to give, Lance needed a solution. "Magic? So- so you're saying is the problem right? Well- I mean princess aren't you like- like a magic sponge?" 

Once again Keith was snapping up at Allura, "Can you fix this then?" 

The whipping of wind came to their attention, the castleship started to land. Coran's voice rang through their ears, "We don't know what kind of magic is running through the Old Boy. We can't risk the princess too." 

Allura shook her head, "I'll do it, we can't just sit here and- Lance are you ok?" 

Lance was staring up at Allura, mouth open and panting. His eyes were dull and have lidded, but they didn't look pained either. He was clutching something at his side, Keith hoped he wasn't anymore injured than he already was. His eyes rolled over Allura's face for a moment. Pidge waited for the flirt to come but instead he mumbled out a groan. 

Keith stood up, pulling Allura and Pidge with him, "Come on, we don't have time to be in shock." 

Hunk nodded, kneeling over his best friend, "You're right. Lance needs us." 

Keith nodded at the Castle, which had it's door opening, "Pidge you go help Coran set up the medbay, Allura you try to find out what the fuck hit Lance, and Hunk you sit guard and watch Lance." 

Everyone split off, Keith clenched his fists at the sight of Lance's pale cold and sweaty skin, at the unfocused look in his eyes. Hunk frowned, "And what about you Keith?" 

Keith shook his head "I guess just...try to find out where the ship Haggar took is going." 

Hunk nodded, "Good luck" 

\--  
"Dammit!" 

Keith slammed his hand down onto the desk and growled. He dragged a hand over his face painfully and desperatly tried to calm himself but things were just too much right now. He kept losing the ship, the signal was shaky and jumping ocer the map. The tracker he set must have been damaged in battle.

The stress of Lance was hurting him too though. According to Hunk he was completely unresponsive. Every now and then he'd mumble something or try to move but that was it. He should have helped him or something. Anything. 

The com light flickered on, he decided it was time to unmute. 

"-ance, buddy? What are you- oh god- agh!" Hunk's voice was cut off by a thick static. 

"What happened? What's going on?" 

Pidge's voice was tense and worried, "I'm not getting any Galra signals around here. What's going on out there?" 

"Is Lance ok?"

"His suit vitals say he's conscious and fine, not even scared judging by the heartrate. Maybe we just lost signal with Hunk." 

"I don't think so. I have a bad feeling about this" Allura chimed in, "Hunk sounded most displeased"

"Allura is right, check on Hunk's stats. I'm going to check on them" 

Keith would soon realize his biggest mistake was leaving his bayard behind. It was so unlike him too, looking back on it Keith has no idea what was going through his mind. He usually held his weapons close to heart. Closer than a normal person and their phone. He never knew when he'd need it. But around Lance he was starting to slip up, he started to forget his knife in his room or leave his bayard in the training hall. Lance was making him develop a dangerous habit. 

On his way outside, Keith briefly passed by the medbay. There Coran and Pidge were running around, yelling back and forth to Allura while trying to desperatly set up the supplies for an issue they didn't understand. Allura was on what Keith assumed to be the Altean version of Google, reading and shouting back, a line of sweat running over her neck and Altean markings. Keith took a deep breath, fists clenched and marched on. 

Hunk had dragged Lance into the main corridor after they all had split up. The room was massive, grand, something Keith still had to stop to take in. This time though he was more preoccupied with the soft noises echoing off the tall walls. He scanned the room, listening to the shuffles and grunts with a raised brow. Around a pillar he spotted Hunk's helmet, carelessly thrown off. 

"...Hunk?" 

Keith came closer, a very Hunk sounding grunt came next, followed by a loud BANG against the pillar that made even Keith flinch, "Hunk knock it off where's-" 

Hand on the pillar with wide eyes, Keith was instantly shown his answer. Hunk was sitting with his back to the floor and Lance straddling him. Lance had this...crazed and bloodlust look in his eye that sent a shiver up his spine. He had his hands covering Hunk's mouth and even worse than that: he was slamming Hunk's head into the pillar with no mercy. He barely registered the dazed dizzy look Hunk have him, his vision was defiently filled with stars. Lance didn't even acknowledge him. 

"Lance wha- what the fuck are you doing?!" 

Hunk's desperate but weak push was enough to give Keith the strength to do something. Hunk was more than strong enough to push Lance off, but this was Lance we were talking about. He was still his best friend even if he was giving him a concussion. Keith wasted no more time in tackling Lance to the ground, pinning his legs and arms down. Lance widley struggled, like a rabid animal. No witty jokes, no smirks, no banter, just growls and kicks. Keith pushed down with more force when Lance bucked enough to throw him off balance. 

"What the hell is wrong with you man?!" Out of the corner of his eye he saw Hunk stumbling to his feet and sliding back down the wall, gripping his head, "Why were you hurting Hunk? Answer me!" 

Lance froze for a split second, it was so quick Keith didn't even notice. He seemed to recognize something and relaxed a little under his grip, "S...sorry I thought he was attacking me. Nightmare." 

Keith felt a twinge of pity. He hated how Lance could do that to him. He loosened his grip a bit, letting some blood flow into Lance's hands.

He tilted his head to speak into the com, "Guys, I need back up. Hunk's hurt and" Lance was trembiling, shaking underneath him with wide eyes "...I don't think Lance is ok" 

After getting the affirmations he wanted he turned both his and Lance's com off, wanting no distraction, "You ok now Lance? All calm?" 

Lance took a deep breath and nodded, "Sorry Keith..." 

Keith frowned, "...It's fine. But I need to check on Hunk." 

He slowly let go of Lance's wrists, watching for any signs of an attack. When Lance simply rested further against the floor he nodded and got up, making his way to Hunk. Hunk was curled up on the floor, feeling tingly and out of it, his head throbbing and a sick feeling in his stomach. Keith knelt down next to him, a hand in his shoulder. A sick feeling went through both of their spines when Hunk touched the back of his head and came back with blood on his hand. 

"Yeah bud, you're gonna need a bit of time in the pod. Can you stand?" 

With his eyes clenched shut Hunk shook his head, his skin worryingly pale. Familiar footsteps ran close and loud, Keith felt relieved when someone smart and with medical knowledge ran into the room, "Pidge. Shit thank god-" 

Pidge's face morphed from confusion to panic and terror, "Keith behind you!" 

Instantly back into war mentality, Keith swirled around and reached for his bayard that wasn't there. Lance held his gun up, a disgusted glare at Keith before swinging it right down at his head. Keith heard Pidge yell out for him beyond the screeching stars in his vision. 

When his vision came back, Pidge was over him, shaking him over and over and yelling something. His ears were just ringing too loud. He blinked slowly, so slow he thought he fainted for a moment, over Pidge's shoulder he could see Hunk being taken away by Coran. 

"-ith! Answer me!" 

Keith gasped and sat up quickly. A spike of pain ran over him and he gripped his head with a hiss. 

"Careful there, you got a nasty wound-" 

"Lance. Shit Lance- where is he?!" 

Allura stood over them, an authoritive look in her eyes. Keith had known her long enough to see the lingering concern and fear, "He ran into the Castle, what we'd like to know is why-" 

"No time! Somethings definitely wrong with Lance we gotta get to him" Keith sprung up into action, grabbing his helmet and dashing in for his bayard, ig boring his headache. 

Pidge's eyes widened in understanding, she grabbed Allura's hand and dragged her along, "This must have been Haggar's work!" 

"That's it! She must be sending him influential instructions! An old witch trick" Allura added. 

Coran tuned in, "Hunk is all set in the pod, he'll be alright sooner than you can say Grobanjoja-" 

"That's great Coran" Keith grabbed his bayard, Pidge and Allura both tense and on look out for Lance, "keep guard of that pod just in case. I need you to pull up the Castle cameras and find where Lance is." 

"Aye aye" 

Pidge turned and looked up at Allura with a hopeful look, "You know how to fix this right? If anyone can it's you" 

"I...I don't know. I have an idea but it could be dangerous for both Lance and me" 

"Listen Allura" Keith turned on his Bayard, frowning at the blade. What was he even gonna do with this, it was Lance! He threw his bayard to the ground with a shake of his head. "If anyone believed in your magic it was Lance. He'd trust you enough to do this." 

Allura gave a fond smile, she nodded with a bit more determination. 

Keith turned to Pidge, "We're gonna need you Pidge. I can't use my weapon, we can't hurt Lance but you-" 

She nodded, "A tazer, not bad enough for permanent damage but enough to stun him." 

"-exactly. And Allura if you can turn the shock off of your whip, I'll need you to tie him up once he's down, no way he'll get out of that no matter how much evil magic is running through him." 

Allura nodded, holding her bayard, the one Lance have her, close. 

"We've got a problem paladins, Lance is heading for the crystal and while I'm on Hunk duty it's completely unguarded!"

Pidge held her bayard in a battle ready position, her knees curling and ready to take off, "Guess we know where we're heading" 

The three of them ran in unison, not much to talk about with Lance there to unite them. Not to say that they were seperate, just seperate verbally. They all felt there was only a need to communicate when absolutely necessary. They could hear footsteps from behind the door, Lance must be approaching the crystal. They all knew how important it was to protect it.

Allura placed a hand on Keith's shoulder, her head turning slowly as she scanned the place with an expert eye, "...I don't see him." 

"Is he hiding?" Pidge asked, walking towards the crystal, her back to the large object. "Maybe he wants a jump on the crystal?" 

Keith frowned, "I don't know. It isn't like Haggar to do the same thing twice...especially if it didn't work the first time" 

The lights flickered so quickly that none of them even noticed, more like a blink of an eye, Allura tilted her head, "...So you're saying Lance isn't after the crystal?" 

Keith's silence sent them back into their heads. For most people silence means "I don't know", for Keith it means "I'm almost positive but I don't want to be right" 

Pidge pulled up a screen on her wrist, scrolling through encoded information on the galra, "But what would Lance be after then?" 

"Maybe it's-" the light flickered again before a spark snapped off the control panel, sending the room into total darkness, "shit!" 

Keith let his eyes run to the first source of light he saw, Allura's Altean markings. She was facing his way, then towards Pidge, "Stay calm and on guard Paladins!" 

The quick footsteps behind Keith didn't give him enough time to react. They felt cat-like, they knew his moves, his thoughts, his helplessness. If it was anyone else, anyone but one of his friends he would have risked hurting him by now. A sharp gagging noise echoed off the walls when a pressure shoved against Keith's throat. He struggled against the headlock he was placed into, wanting more than anything to kick Lance into tomorrow. 

"Keith!" Pink slashes turned towards him again, he saw her whip zap to life, "what's going on?" 

Keith opened his mouth to speak but felt the barrel of a gun press against his back. A cold tone rang out, emotionless, cold, calculating. The kind you'd only expect from a murderer or politician, "Drop your weapons. All of you"

Keith struggled to breath against the below around his neck, the grip tightening when he tried to look back at his captor, "Lance what ar-?" 

"I know you've already figured out Lance is not here, no need to keep up such a futile act." Lance glared, through the darkness all Keith saw was the blues in his eyes twisting in disgust, "I won't say it again, drop your weapons, Paladins, or I will shoot." 

Pidge sounded helpless and lost, "Keith what do we do" 

Normally Keith wouldn't mind risking his life, but Lance could be at risk too for all he knew. Haggar was too crafty for it to be that easy, "it...it's fine Pidge just listen to her." 

The clang that followed was enough of a cue for both him and Haggar apparently, "You too princess." 

"...I'm sorry Lance. We'll fix this soon." She dropped her whip. 

Lance laughed, unlike his usual laugh this was more of a deep set cackle. He pressed the gun farther into Keith's back, enough so that if it wasn't for his armor his skin would have an imprint leftover. Then he slid it down to his knee where armor was open in favor of their black spandex. 

BANG. 

Keith hissed and dropped to the ground, biting his teeth so hard when he gasped out he cut his tongue. He heard his name being called, Pidge maybe? Allura had her hands on him, he tried to blink through the pain, but this was a whole new world for him. It smelt burnt and sizzled, the laser cut deep into his skin and shattered the bone. He gasped when Allura placed her fingers on the tender skin, moving his hands only to pull hers away. 

"I'm. I'm fine give me a second-" 

The lights flashed back on, they glanced where Pidge was standing over the now fixed control panel. She gasped, "He's gone." 

"You're hurt, we should get you to the pod" 

Keith shook his head, grinding his teeth together, "No I got this. We need all we can get to stop Haggar at this rate"

"But Keith your leg-" 

"The laser shut the wound back up, I'll bare through it for now." 

Pidge shot him a disapproving look, "Well if you're still gonna do this we better get going. I doubt we have much time before Haggar does something insane. Princess, can't you do anything." 

The princess flinched a little, so subtly that only Keith noticed. Only Keith saw the way her fingers jolted and trembled, "I...have an idea. It is like- what was it hunk said earlier? A sponge. I will absorb the corrupted magic away"

"And-" Keith stopped to hiss in another breath, damn his leg hurt, "and after that? You'll get hurt right?" 

She shook her head, "Hopefully not. We just need an outlet." 

"So you'll act as a transfer then? Take the energy from Lance and put it somewhere else" Pidge added, tapping her chin in thought. 

Allura nodded, "Precisely. Then we can smash the object and thus killing the evil magic." 

Keith tried to bring himself up, the pressure making a world of pain shoot up through his spine. He gasped and fell back down. Worried voices fell around him. 

"Keith? Keith are you alright can you hear me?" 

"Oh god the gun shot. Was that what hurt you? Keith oh god." 

"I'm- I said I'm fine. Okay?" He stood up again, the inside of his cheek torn to shreds by his teeth. 

"...Let's hurry it up" 

"For the record, Keith, this is stupid irresponsible. I know you want that to be your thing and all but no." 

"Alright paladins if you're going to stop Lance you might need to head out to the lion chamber. Now." With Corans announcement weighing down on them, they ran off. 

In the end Keith ended up lagging far far behind. Allura offered to carry him but he insisted it was better he show up late than her be late and have a load on her back. When he stumbled through the doors he saw Allura trying to tackle Lance from Blue's ramp. Pidge sat on him, but Lance suddenly seemed to have double the strength. Or rather, he wasn't holding back anymore like he did in training. 

Pidge was throw off of Lance and hit the ground hard. An uppercut to Allura had her tumbling down too. Usually that was nothing for her, she easily could have blocked and snapped his arm, but they were still refusing to hurt Lance. 

Lance turned to Keith and glared, "Do not get in my way." 

Keith gulped, "Get out of his head." 

Lance gave a heavy sigh, almost annoyed. His shoulders dropped and he rolled his eyes. He stood tall, his posture perfect, and began to walk towards Keith is a calm slow and almost teasing way. "Why must you paladins be so defiant?" 

"Why must you be so batshit crazy?" He spat right back, trying to get his leg to function without sending stars and waves of heat to his face. 

"This would be so much easier if you let me take that lion" he raised the gun again, Keith could hear the bullet charging, "And leave this castle. But instead you'd rather risk all your friends and even yourself. Pathetic" 

Keith gave a bitter laugh, "the galra way huh?" Through his peripherals he saw Allura stand up without any problem. She wound her whip. Keith gave a small nod, "I guess you really believe in that."

"The galra way is why we are so successful." 

"Yeah? Well wait till you see the voltron way. Now Allura!" 

Allura cracked the whip around Lance's torso, the electricity coursing through him. His eyes widened and rolled up, his mouth open in a scream as his whole body twitched. She only let him go when the shocks became so much he couldn't even scream, his muscles too tight and shaky. Lance tumbled flat to the ground, hands and feet twitching. 

"I'm so sorry Lance." 

"No time for pity Allura, Pidge hold him down!" 

"On it!" 

"Allura do your thing!" 

"Right" 

"Keith" Pidge looked up from where she was holdin Lance's shoulders, worried from his pale face, "What are we putting Haggar's magic into exactly?" 

Lance groaned, they had to hurry. Allura put her hands on him and a glow traded between the both of him. She grunted at the strange prickly feeling of Haggar's magic coursing through her. It was nothing like the magic she was used to. 

"Anything Pidge anything!" Keith yelled, stumbling against the wall, feet sliding against the floor, but the pain of his leg too much. 

Pidge grabbed a spare peice of metal from working on Blue and placed it into Allura's hands, who was sweaty with open white eyes. Her eyes sparked and turned purple, "A-almost-" 

Suddenly the purple glow was lost and Allura fell limply, her body heaving with little gasps as she held herself back up on shaky arms, "d-...done" 

"Good job Allura" Keith said, Lance was looking more relaxed now, as though he were sleeping, "You did great." 

\---

Time after that was a blur of healing. Keith and Hunk had to spend time in the pod while Lance and Allura had to rest up. Pidge helped Coran see if Lance caused any other technical problems besides the control panel and fixed the ship accordingly. No one really talked about it. No one was even sure Lance remembered at first. But they had a meeting where he told them all he had no idea what they meant by possession. They decided it's best not to let him know. 

Until a knock came at Keith's door. He opened it, showing Lance in his pajamas with a serious and tired expression. He smiled when he focused on Keith, "Can I come in?" 

Keith nodded, stepping out of the way and gesturing towards his grand room. Lance sat down on the floor in front of Keith's bed, Keith joined him on the floor, not wanting to be rude.

They sat in silence, this happened every now and then after bad missions. Keith cleaned his knife and Lance sat there in comfortable silence, his eyes admiring whatever Keith was doing. 

Keith sighed, "So whats-" 

"I hurt Hunk." 

Keith tensed up. A chill ran down his spine uneasily. Shit, he shouldn't remember. Did Hunk tell him? Hunk was bad at keeping secrets from Lance. He turned to Lance, putting down the knife. He let him continue. 

"I..." Lance had a far off look in his eyes, he looked at his hand and rubbed his fingers together as if expecting dryblood to flake off of it, "I really hurt him. I remember the blood on that pillar. It was crazy and I couldn't stop it." 

"Lance thats-" 

"You don't care because I hurt you too. If-...I saw computer while you were healing. That bone was fucking broken. It probably wouldn't have healed back on earth" 

"We aren't back on earth." 

Lance laughed, "trust me, I'm well aware Keith Kagone." 

Keith sent him a worried, putting look that put the frown right back on Lance's face, "Oh come on, don't tell me it wasn't my fault ok? I don't need life advice leader Keith." 

"Then...what Keith do you need?" He glanced at his knife.

Lance lifted up one of his arms, "the one that's my friend" 

Keith let Lance put an arm around him, eventually he put his own arm over Lance's waist. But he'll deny that to this day.

**Author's Note:**

> Wow this is low key garbage but hey I tried!


End file.
